diatuooc | Test Drive #2

Test Drive #2

That Wand Is a Wonder!

You pulled down a book from a tall shelf in the Library of Starchime and promptly got hit in the head by a wand that was resting atop it. It looks innocuous, a cylinder of wood, but as soon as you pick it up, light streams out of the end. The barest motion is enough to make fantastic colors, and with a gesture you send light streaming across the library!

Light is all it does, right? Right?

Pranks for the Memories

Diatu Magicademy is a school -- one with different social groups, different Houses, different classes, different levels of experience... in short, pranks are inevitable. The latest one to make the rounds is the Sticky Glyph: step on a certain mathematical rune and the next person you touch sticks to you like glue. Casually brush against them, shake their hand, bump backwards into them -- however you did it, you have a new friend now, like it or not. The glyph wears off in about an hour -- do you wait it out, ask for help, or try to undo it yourself?

The Dueling Club

One of the more popular magical clubs, the Dueling Club is precisely as it sounds: wizards crossing spells, each trying to be the one to 'defeat' their opponent. How to do that varies by the sort of duel -- knocking your opponent off a platform, or getting them wet, or just good old rendering them unable to keep dueling. Less experienced students, like you, get the "water duel" treatment. Use your spells to get your opponent off of their stool in a small pool of water before they do the same to you! Losing means soggy shoes and a laugh at your expense; winning means pride, respect, and a chance for advancement into the club's informal ranks.

Chimera!

Transporting chimera is highly illegal without proper permits -- which is precisely why smugglers do it, and precisely why smugglers are valiantly struggling to extinguish their airship, while the beast responsible ambles down the gangplank and people flee like crazy. A small chimera, its shoulders are about shoulder height to a man. The goat head jabs at the cargo and building it passes, the lion head maintains a watchful forward guard, and the dragon head has taken the "burn it all, burn it all!" approach to greeting its new circumstances.

This is your chance to be a hero, and save the city of Anastara from certain doom at this beast's claws, heads, horns, and fiery breath. Or your chance to run like heck and hope it doesn't notice you.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Yeah, it's apparently a kind of rose." He half shrugged, then offered a real, if slight, smile. "Nice to meet you, Kamala."

A kind of rose? That more or less fit the bill of what she'd been hoping for in the first place, and Kamala smiled. "Nice to meet you, too, Daniel. But... There's one thing I've always wanted to know. Do you guys really not show up in mirrors? What's the difference between drinking someone's blood just to feed, and to turn them? Is garlic really an issue? And if it is, why? How do you handle sunlight? Is that why your cape has a hood?"

That was definitely more than one question.

That was absolutely more than one question. He scrubbed his hand through his hair, breathing out slowly through his nose.

"Maybe we should find a comfortable place to sit and chat for a while?" That wasn't the middle of a hallway. Something in the edge of his vision caught his attention and he half-turned, plucking the wand out and holding it out to her, horizontally so the glowing end didn't nail her the way it did him. "Here, you can have this. I'd probably burn the back of my retina again with it, anyway."

He snickered some. Okay, that one was a joke.

"Okay," Kamala smiled as she took the wand from Daniel. "Yeah, I'll have to see if I can find a lost and found or something to put this in. But later! That can definitely wait, because I want to hear all about this stuff."

A weak chuckle. "I'm sure you do."

Deciding to go back to the library, where at least some privacy could be assured if nothing else, they trooped back and found a dusky table to sit at. Once there Daniel took a moment to collect his thoughts- and try to remember that whole stream of questions -before turning back to her.

"So, vampire. Mirrors aren't really a problem if it doesn't use silver. If it doesn't, we still show up. The blood drinking mostly depends on location and if you put any of your own magic into it. And garlic's not an issue but sunlight is."

He waved a hand toward a window.

"I don't burst into ash or anything, thank god. But I do sunburn easier than most people might, and if I stay out too long in it I just straight up fall asleep." A soft snort. "So, Friendly Neighborhood Narcoleptic Vampire, basically. And I wore this cloak before I was turned actually, but it's been pretty handy afterwards so I've kept it around."

Kamala hung off his every word once the explanations began. Sure, the answers were straightfoward, but she appreciated them all the same. She choked back a laugh when he - wittingly or not - referenced Spider-Man, but didn't get into that. Maybe another time.

"Fall asleep? I don't think I ever heard that one before," she said, instead. "But then again, I've never heard of real vampires. Just in books and movies and stuff."

"Well, now you have." There was a soft snicker at the back of his throat. "Vampires... Well they aren't common where I come from, but their just one of a few different magical sorts."

She nodded. "So... Is this something you're going to try to keep a secret?"

She was asking primarily so she knew if she needed to keep her mouth shut, but honestly, hearing his thoughts on the matter might help her decide if she needed to keep her own - admittedly non-existent at the moment - powers hush-hush or not.

Daniel considered that, leaning on one hand for a few moments. He shrugged. "Yes and no? I'm not going out with a megaphone and announcing it over the campus, but I'm not strictly... hiding it either. It's kinda difficult to hide going around in a cloak, avoiding sunlight, and eating special food after all."

Shifting some, he rested both arms on the table. "Overall, no I'm not telling the world, but people can make their own conclusions. I know not everybody's gonna be comfortable with a vampire around, and I'd rather not get into any fights if I can avoid it, even if I am capable of taking care of myself." A flicker of pride, then it was gone with another shrug, one hand turning over some. "But those like you, who take it well? Free to stick around and talk openly with me about it, and such."

It was Kamala's turn, then, to give an amused snort. "No, announcing it all over would be weird..." Her smile faded. "...And maybe not that best idea, you're right. It pretty much sucks that people would jump to conclusions about it, but... People can be like that. Afraid of differences."

Although, compared to being a vampire... Having inhuman DNA didn't seem like such a big deal. Especially when there was on proof of it to show anyone. But that lack of proof was probably a reason not to tell people. They might think she was a liar at best, and certifiably insane at worst.

But Daniel might not...

"So, do you want to know my secret? An eye for an eye and all that? Sure, it's the wrong ideology, but..."

But she kind of really wanted to share with someone.

His eyebrows came together, a bit troubled by her attitude. Daniel half wondered just what she was keeping back, couldn't even imagine it. He'd find out in a minute, anyway.

Expression serious, he nodded.

"Yeah, and don't worry, you can count on me to keep that secret, too."

"Cool, and I trust you." Perhaps it was foolish, as Kamala didn't tell people she was Ms. Marvel this easily back home... But this was different. She wasn't being Ms. Marvel here. Just Kamala. "So, I'm a human, right? Except... I have these powers. I don't seem to have them here? But I can shrink and grow and change how I look - I'm a polymorph. And that's not the only thing. The best part? I use those powers to help people. I'm a superhero!"

Whatever he'd been expecting with the turn in their conversation, it hadn't quite been that. She'd see a smile grow, expression positively lighting up.

"Really? That's pretty awesome!"

"Right? I mean, thanks! It's been completely crazy and terrifying, but I love it. It's the best thing I've ever done." She cupped her chin in her hands, beaming. "I'm so lucky..."

"I hope you get to do the same kinda stuff here sometime." He chuckled softly, in a warm way. "It sounds like the right kinda life for you."

Kamala echoed the little laugh. "I hope so, too, and thanks... You're a really cool guy, Daniel."

He smiled, shifting to bring up a fist for a light bump. "You're pretty cool yourself, Kamala."

Fist bump is definitely a go.

"Thanks. So, are you excited to learn all this magic? Or is it similar enough to what you've seen at home that this is kind of just... School?"

Mini-explosion ~~balalala~~ and all.

"I guess you could say that. There's a few mages and the like around my home but it's never been quite like this, so it's kinda neat to see the differences. Like, at home magic fell into different elements instead of different 'breeds' like it is here."

Test Drive #2

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